Drow
"I am eternal! I cannot end! You have stricken me from the skies yet my blood courses into World's heart - watch as the little pups yelp, let my madness reign." -The Curse of Voraghamanthar the Black as he fell dead from the sky. Within the poetry of every race can be found the tragedy of Drow (Pejorative: Dark Elf). Once Faerin of the bountiful forests of Endor, the Dragon Wars culminated in the fall of mighty Voraghamanthar, slain by the Miranese hero Baelor. Though slain at High Hilfdotr in the far north he fell in the woods of Endor and where his black blood flowed came madness. Trees transformed into living things of poison and rot. Animals became monstrosities. No other tale in time is as well recorded as the cacophony that erupted from the now living woods of Eastern Endor: Adar. Forever more the Faerin caught in the wave of black blood would be tainted, cursed with the dragon's throes to be Drow. After the fall, the immediate change in the demeanor of the afflicted was immediately apparent. Madness appeared to course through them, a form of dimentia mixed with a propensity for sadism that can only be described as entirely Draconic. They were suddenly volatile in a way that marked them as fundamentally disparate to the Faerin they once were. In the early years after the fall, the madness was one many thought to be cureable, and it was during this time that clergy from the Heartlands would first enter the forests in attempt to aid those afflicted. Of course, it wasn't that simple. The affliction was not one of the flesh, but one of the soul - and as madness turned to violence, the remaning Faerin were left with no other choice than to quarantine the Drow within Adar, a thing many of their kind saw as the ultimate betrayal. Culture The curse only became worse with time, a fact that spurred sects of Drow to become stronger with it - for those who could not would lose themselves to that curse; driven insane by its impossible power. Drowish culture is now very disparate from the peace-loving Faerin. It is one that is structured almost entirely around the sado-masochistic calling of their blood. Ceremonies of sacrifice and blood-letting mark the ascension of kings and queens, and most Drow nobility are marked with ritual scars. Their ancestral hunting lands of Adar are now a nightmare forest whose creatures never die and whose trees bleed crimson. Because of this, Drow "trick weapons" are renowned throughout the world for the hideous torment they are meant to inflict - for if you cannot kill something, you must instead make it incapable. Drow hierarchy is structured matrilineally, for it has been proven that women of their kind have a particular propensity for withstanding and even embracing the cursed blood. A Drow Queen - to any outlander who sees her - is a terrible and beautiful thing, a creature scarred so fully that their skin appears decorative, while their eyes remark upon a necrotic prowess no Wizard may ever otherwise achieve. The Queen is the only figure capable of speaking to the now cursed Father Tree. Below the Queen is her priesthood, practitioners of Necrotic healing - for their blood reels when confronted by holy light. While the Heartlands war amongst themselves, and the Faerin of Naneth struggle against the ever growing lands of Adar, the Drow grow stronger, more numerous, and more powerful in the face of the ever present pain inflicted upon them. What will become of their kind in time? Traits '''Ability Score Increase: '''Your Dexterity increases by 2, and your Strength by 1. '''Age: '''Although Elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, an Elf can live to be nearly a milennia old. '''Size: '''A Drow is the same size as their Fearin bretheren, though tend to be more muscular. A male will usually weigh between 120-200 lbs, while a female tends to range between 80-130 lbs. '''Alignment: '''A Drow is almost always a being of Chaos. The blood that courses through them can lead them to horrific acts of sadism and masochism, a value in their society. '''Speed: '''30 '''Devilsight: '''Once per long rest, a Drow can see in complete darkness as though it were dim - though only for a period of 10 minutes at 120 feet. The amount of time doubles every odd level. Devilsight also allows one to see through magical darkness. Your eyes are aglow so long as this is active. '''Masochism: '''A Drow never has to roll on the system shock table. '''Languages: '''You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. At Fifth level you gain the innate understanding of Draconic. '''Weapon Training: '''You have proficiency with whips, nets, and shortswords. You also understand how to properly use the Trick Weapons of the Shadar-Kai.